Cool Stuff to Use in Ubers

The Uber metagame often experiences phases where creativity is at the bottom of the hill, where many people simply follow the trend in the metagame and simply use the standard sets. Offensive and stall teams nowadays are commonly structured before the team is built—for example, today's stall teams revolve around the Palkia, Giratina-O, Forretress, and Blissey core, while offensive teams typically focus on multiple entry hazards being set up on by the lead Deoxys-S. However, this has caused several Pokémon and niches to be overlooked in the metagame. The goal of this article is to encourage the readers to try out new things as well as reconsider a few old and almost forgotten niches.

Deoxys-S is always thought of as a suicide lead that lays down Stealth Rock and Spikes. However, it also functions excellently in a non-lead position. For example, if you want to lead with, say, Mixed Rayquaza or a Choice Scarf Shaymin-S, then you might benefit from this set. Stealth Rock and Spikes are both excellent aids to offensive and defensive Uber teams alike. Deoxys-S can use Light Screen or Taunt to help Pressure stall its opponents in conjunction with Recover, while the EVs allow it to come in on both Dragon Dance and Swords Dance Rayquaza setting up and Ice Beam it to death, taking only at worst an Swords Dance ExtremeSpeed.

With the recent rise of stall, people have forgotten offensive Pokémon, such as Kyogre. Kyogre now works better than ever; the only common Pokémon who checks it being Palkia. Choice Specs Kyogre is undoubtedly the most ferocious special attacker in the game. It's capable of 2HKOing and OHKOing almost every Pokémon, including the defensive behemoth Blissey, with Water Spout. With Spikes + Stealth Rock support, even the mighty Ludicolo and Quagsire fall victim to a 2HKO from Thunder and Ice Beam respectively. The only Pokémon capable of countering it reliably is Latias. For this reason, entry hazard support and a strong Pursuiter, such as Metagross, Scizor, or Tyranitar, along with a good Spikes user, such as Deoxys-S or Forretress, are ideal teammates for it.

Registeel is quite capable of coming in on a variety of common attacks, such as Draco Meteor, Outrage, and Ice Beam. It supports the team with Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock, making it quite useful to slower teams. Ice Punch allows it to hurt Latias and Latios and break Giratina-O's Substitutes, as well as KO an Outraging Rayquaza. Explosion is for blowing up on Pokémon that you can't allow to set up, such as Groudon, who enjoys coming in on Registeel.

Rayquaza is capable of not only sweeping with Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, or a mixed set, but also leading—and incredibly well, too! Fire Blast followed by Draco Meteor allows Rayquaza to beat leads such as Groudon in two hits, and KO Dialga with Draco Meteor + Outrage if Rayquaza is holding Life Orb. ExtremeSpeed allows Rayquaza to prevent Deoxys-S from setting up more than one layer of entry hazards, break any Focus Sashes, and pick off weakened Pokémon later in the game. Focus Sash is the preferred option to allow you to beat opposing Rayquaza leads; however, the boost from Life Orb is also a welcome choice. A different EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 Spe / 252 SpA is usable if you're paranoid about other Rayquaza outpacing and killing you. Brick Break kills Dialga (also assuming Life Orb), can break dual screens, does not lock you into a single move (especially important against Blissey), and gives you a method of damaging Heatran.

Now, maybe you don't need a sweeping Latios for your particular team, but could do with a heavy hitting Dragon-type to wear down walls for one of your other sweepers. If so, then this is the Latios set for you. Quite capable of punching holes, it can devastate teams after a single Calm Mind. Draco Meteor after a Calm Mind does a whopping 46% - 54.3% to max SpD Blissey, and OHKOes just about every Pokémon who doesn't resist it; Grass Knot and Thunder take care of Latios's normal counters, Scizor, Metagross, and Tyranitar, who only avoid being OHKOed if they run max HP and Special Defense. In Scizor's case, the OHKO cannot be avoided if you choose Hidden Power Fire.

One of the most terrible Pokémon in the game actually works in Ubers. Ariados prevents standard lead Deoxys-S from getting up more than a single layer of entry hazards with a combination of Bug Bite + Shadow Sneak. Insomnia means Darkrai cannot put Ariados to sleep, meaning the Choice Scarf set must lock itself into Dark Pulse to beat Ariados. Ariados is capable of consistently getting up at least one layer of Toxic Spikes and defeating Deoxys-S leads, some of the most common leads in Ubers, making Ariados an ideal teammate to a bulky stat-boosting Pokémon, such as Kyogre. The most excellent thing about leading Ariados has to be the confusion it makes your opponents feel—you'll find they often try setting up Stealth Rock on it believing it is harmless, or even Dark Voiding it.

Bronzong's Steel typing paired with its ability and excellent defensive stats allow it to wall and damage a significant portion of the metagame. A resistance to Dragon- and Ice-type moves, an immunity to Ground-type moves, and Spikes + Toxic Spikes make Bronzong an amazing utility Pokémon. Gyro Ball allows you to pummel Rayquaza switch-ins, while Payback lets you beat Giratina-O. Toxic is useful for hitting bulkier Pokémon that Gyro Ball and Payback won't stop, such as Double Dance bulky Groudon and Kyogre (the latter of which enjoys switching into Bronzong). The only things to avoid when using Bronzong are strong Fire-type moves from Rayquaza or Heatran, stat-boosting Pokémon with Rest, and Forretress + Wobbuffet, who can use you as setup bait.